gosh, we eat so many beans around here, I forgot how you can be a persona non grata if you only eat them occasionally which confirms the theory that if you eat them on a regular basis your system adjusts.Okay, from my experience, the people who have posted that you throw the bath water out without the beans are right. Do throw out the soak water and add fresh water before cooking and yes, my m-i-l swears by the small addition of baking soda. I've never done it but we eat lots of beans (mainly pinto, ranch style, and black beans) so it's never been a problem around here. I've also read that it's the sugars in the beans that also are the offending agent and throwing out the soak water eliminates a lot of that. I dont' know-I've never cooked my beans in the overnight soak water. I always throw it out and start with fresh water.

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The only difference between a "cook" and a "Chef" is who cleans up the kitchen.

I save the meat and bones from the Christmas and Thanksgiving hams to use in my beans. I recently found the recipe for "Congressional Beans", as in the Congressional dining room. They were awesome - now is my ONLY bean recipe!
I used to cook my meat (ham hock; hog jowl; back or neck bones or whatever was available) with a whole onion. Now I cook the meat and onions in a frying pan and add them to the beans just before eating them. Try it, you will like it!

I agree with the throw the water out after soaking but I also go one step further and cook the beans bringing just to a boil where you can see foam on top of the beans then dump the water and rinse the beans and wash out the pot then put back on the stove to cook and flavor. Seems like a lot of work just for a pot of beans but as of yet I have not had any complaints about mine.

I agree with the throw the water out after soaking but I also go one step further and cook the beans bringing just to a boil where you can see foam on top of the beans then dump the water and rinse the beans and wash out the pot then put back on the stove to cook and flavor. Seems like a lot of work just for a pot of beans but as of yet I have not had any complaints about mine.

I tend to change the soaking water every 2-3 hours (if soaking 12-24 hours before cooking). Like chefchewy, I will bring to just to a boil and then do the same as they do. It does really cut down on the gas if not almost all doing it this way. Believe me (a lifelong pinto bean-eater), it does help, lol.